Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Bank of America Corp. is committing $100,000 to help Charlotte-area teens land summer jobs.

As part of a three-year, $50 million effort to encourage self-sufficiency through employment, the Charlotte-based bank will provide jobs for 80 local students, N.C. and Charlotte Market President Charles Bowman said today. A dozen will intern in banking centers around the region, while the rest will work with nonprofit organizations.

"We believe in this country, and we believe in the youth of this country," Bowman told a crowd of teens and business leaders during a luncheon for the Mayor's Youth Employment Program.

Bank of America is partnering with other youth programs in coordination with the U.S. Conference of Mayors to help teens find summer jobs at nonprofits and businesses around the country. The Mayor's Youth Employment Program in Charlotte this year has connected 70 employers with more than 300 students.

During the kickoff luncheon today, Bowman praised the public-private effort. He also shared a story about his first summer job, hauling sofas from a truck to a railroad car in his hometown of Thomasville.

"You're going to have an opportunity a lot different than that," he told the students.